Introduction
When Kirker offered me a chance to join them on their trip to Turkey, I had no idea of the wonderful adventure it would be. Discovering such a rich culture of wonderful food, history and architecture was an amazing experience and I am so excited to tell you about it!
Day 1:
Andrea arrived from our Miles Morgan Travel branch in Wells, and we set off on a very cold and dark morning at 5am leaving Weston-Super-Mare en route to London Heathrow. We made good time and arrived at the MBW Meet & Greet parking in Terminal 2, checked my car in and were walking into the crisp cold winter air into a bright warm terminal building to be greeted with a warm welcome from Tim Flemming of Kirker Holidays. We were joined later by Amanda from Kirker Holidays and the rest of our travelling party, who would become like close family, arrived later. Check in was a breeze; simply scan your passport, pick your seat then print off a luggage tag, attach the tag to your suitcase, scan the tag with a handheld scanner and put the case onto a conveyer belt. It was all very efficient and automated.
After security and a short refreshment stop, we were called to board our 787-9 Dreamliner Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. It was a modern plane, spotlessly clean with great food (chicken or fish with rice and vegetables and a small pudding served with a soft drink, tea or wine). After leaving Heathrow slightly late, we made up good time and landed half an hour early arriving at a new modern terminal in Istanbul. We were grateful to be met on arrival by a Kirker Escort driver who sped us on our way in a private air-conditioned vehicle to the 5* Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus. We stepped off our transfer to be met by friendly smiling staff who whisked our luggage off to our rooms while we checked in quickly.
I walked into my room which included a bathroom that was larger than my lounge at home! This second-floor palace suite was stunning, with floor-to-ceiling windows, each with a window seat, overlooking the Bosphorus River; complete with a Christmas tree lighting up the view outside. There were the softest towels, slippers, a hairdryer, a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle with a chaise longue in my bedroom and orchids on the desk. Finally, a fully stocked mini bar and complimentary bottles of water everywhere.
We had a quick change and refresh and were shown to an outside dining area for dinner where a special menu had been created by the hotel for our visit. My head hit the pillow at 10.30pm and I had the best night's sleep I've had in ages. I did not wake up until 6am.
Day 2:
Breakfast at this hotel was simply out of this world with omelettes cooked to order, eggs benedict, a fruit bar, a cake station, yoghurts, pastries, Turkish tea and coffee. All produced with kindness, attention to detail and always with a smile. The staff were ultra efficient, they could not do enough for you, and you could tell they loved working here. We were then met by the hotel’s director Emre, who gave us a guided tour of both parts of the 170 roomed hotel from suites to presidential rooms with views over the city and river. After our hotel tour, we were met by our local guide for a full day tour of this beautiful stunning city. We visited the Hagia Sophia Museum, which had an interactive display. We then went to the Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Blue Mosque, followed by lunch hosted by Emre at the other Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. We were met on arrival with cold towels and a refreshing drink then another lunch specially prepared for us while we overlooked the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
We did a complete hotel tour of the different rooms types available from Presidential suites with 3 balconies overlooking the Hagia Sophia mosque and city. We then ventured into the Grand Bazaar with our tour guide before going back to the hotel to change for dinner back out in Istanbul at the Pera Palace Hotel where the Netflix show; ‘Midnight at the Pera Palace’ was filmed and where Agatha Christie once stayed. You can also stay in the Suite she slept in!! All this comes complete with a ride in the 1st electric wooden escalator in the country installed in 1852 (only 3 years after the electric one in the Eiffel tower!) We were hosted for dinner by the Pera Palace hotel team in the lovely wood panelled Agatha restaurant whose food should have been Michelin starred. The Turkish tea ended another full packed day of sightseeing and exploring this beautiful city and having the most wonderful food. Kirker Holidays and their Turkey team really do pull out all the stops for you to be fully immersed in the destination you stay in.
After getting back to the hotel, we headed straight to bed, looking forward to another night in the world’s comfiest bed.
Day 3:
Today was a 9am departure after a lovely breakfast to have a walking tour through Istiklal Street in the centre of Istanbul. We were shown local churches with stunning stained-glass windows before going back to the Pera palace Hotel again for a refreshment stop. Before going onto the Orient Occidental Hotel part of the Autograph collection for another hosted lunch on a rooftop restaurant again with Michelin star food. We then went to the sister property, Orient Bank Hotel, for a guided tour of the room. It even had a speakeasy jazz club complete with a private dining room which could be hired for dinner before seeing the jazz club bands play. We then walked down to the port of Istanbul to be met by our own private yacht. We whisked off up the Bosporus river; passing summer palaces, the ornate Egyptian consulate and passing under two suspension bridges designed by the same architect who built the Severn bridge in Wales, Gilbert Roberts!
We were then dropped back on the riverside at our hotel, stepping off our private yacht like celebrities. We had our group picture taken in the hotel gardens by the pool, then enjoyed some free time before changing and being taken to The Peninsula Hotel. We were met by the hotel manager and shown around their luxury rooms, each featuring high-end finishes and equipped with high-tech amenities and all modern conveniences. We were then taken up to their rooftop restaurant for another sumptuous meal, followed by a tour of their spa, luxury indoor pool, and an intimate, cruise-style bar on the roof. Finally, we headed back to our room for a night’s sleep in my luxurious bed.
Day 4:
Packed and out of the hotel by 6.30am with a croissant in hand and a black coffee, we left the luxurious hotel which had become our home for the last 3 nights. It was very sad to say goodbye to an amazing team of staff who looked after us and whose hospitality knew no bounds... We had a short transfer back to Istanbul Airport for our 9.40am flight to Kayseri Airport to be met on arrival after an hour flight by Benjamin; a local guide who was born in Cappadocia. We then travelled through two regions of Cappadocia. Stopping in the Devrent Valley for photos of the breathtaking views and whimsical rock formations, then onto lunch at the Sultan Cave Suite Restaurant. After an amazing lunch, we travelled onto the Goreme open air museum; a UNESCO world heritage site featuring over 2000 cave churches and cave frescoes. We then checked in to the Avantgarde Refined Cave Hotel. After we were greeted with an effortless check in, we were welcomed again by smiling staff who then led us to our rooms with comfortable beds and a huge walk-in shower. It was certainly an amazing experience staying in a Cave Suite.
That evening we had dinner at the Argos Hotel; a luxury boutique hotel with 77 individual cave rooms of various types with an amazing menu. The hotel cave rooms even included one with a private pool and another with its own Jacuzzi! After dinner we went back to our hotel for an early night's sleep!
Day 5:
After a lovely breakfast with plenty of choice, we set off from the hotel with a private driver in a minivan with our Turkish Guide Ben and out Turkey rep Berna. We travelled to Kaymakli to visit the underground city with a labyrinth of narrow tunnels and passageways which were used to hide over 500 people during the Roman invasions. After a short refreshment break, we went to a local Turkish rug emporium where we were shown a demonstration of how silk and wool rugs were being hand made by local families, some taking over a year and a half to hand weave on a loom. We were also shown the history of a silk work worm, and how the silk is dyed using local plants. We were also shown how the silkworms cocoons are teased apart and hand spun to use in weaving the rugs. (Sadly, they were all out of my budget with the cheapest rug starting from £1,000!)
Lunch was hosted at the Millocal restaurant, offering views of Cappadocia and the highest point of Uçhisar. The food again was plentiful and varied. After lunch, we stopped in Pigeon Valley; home to pigeon coops hand carved into the rocks in various forms. Then we went to Kizilcukur Valley to see the famous UNESCO world heritage site featuring the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. I even found one named after me; St Simeon who was a famous hermit! All of the chimneys had eroded over centuries to create an amazing chimney like structures which looked too impossible to be true.
The highlight of today was visiting the Chez Galip Pottery where my work colleague Andrea from our Wells branch got to throw her own pot showing hidden talents. None of us knew she had that talent. We were taught by a master with over 35 years of making pottery unique to the region.
We were then whisked off for dinner back at our hotel and then an early night.
Day 6:
After an early 8.50am start, we were back to the airport. We were checked through to London Heathrow with Turkish Airlines, and with a tear in my eye we took off from Turkey, a country and people who have really stolen my heart. I've made new friends, created wonderful memories and visited areas of Turkey I will never forget. If you’re considering Istanbul or Cappadocia for your next holiday, I’d love to help you plan your dream Turkish getaway. Visit me at Miles Morgan Travel in Clevedon and let’s make it happen!
